Kate Spade New York, founded in 1993, is famous for its chic, colorful handbags. The brand stands for “optimistic femininity,” according to its website.
It all started with the dream of one woman, Kate Brosnahan Spade, an editor at the fashion magazine Mademoiselle. She wanted a stylish yet utilitarian handbag, but couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for. Therefore, she decided to design one herself.
After she debuted six versions of a bag called Sam, Kate Spade New York took off. To date the brand, which has expanded to include clothing, bedding, home décor and more, has generated $1.2 billion in net sales.
Tapestry, Inc., originally named Coach, Inc. purchased Kate Spade & Company in 2017.
Does Kate Spade manufacture its bags in the USA? We dug in; our verdict is below.
Verdict: Is Kate Spade Made in the USA?
Despite the name “Kate Spade New York,” we couldn’t find any bags made in the Big Apple – or anywhere in the United States.
Kate Spade items produced in locations outside of the U.S. are listed as “imported” on katespade.com, according to an email from the company. We went to the website and clicked on the bags listed for sale. Under the “details” section of each product page, all the bags were listed as “imported.”
The email from Kate Spade also stated the majority of the leather for their handbags are sourced from the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and are ultimately finished in Asia.
The moral of the story? Be wary of brands that use “USA” or the name of a big city or location in their name. Just because they use it as part of their marketing doesn’t mean their manufacturing happens here.
Popular American Made Kate Spade Bags
- None that we could find
Popular Kate Spade Bags Not Made in the USA
- Little Better Sam Nylon Small Shoulder Bag
- Little Better Sam Nylon Mini Tote
- Knot Large Shoulder Bag
- Knott Medium Crossbody Tote
- Spencer Flap Chain Wallet
- All Day Large Zip-Top Tote
- Spade Flowered Jacquard Stripe Market Medium Tote
- All Day Large Tote
- Knott Medium Satchel
- Spencer Continental Wristlet
American Made Alternatives
- Women’s bags made in the USA
- Luggage made in the USA
- Laptop bags made in the USA
- Baby diaper bags made in the USA
